What's it like to see a psychiatrist?

Nervous... thanx!
I am struggling with what depression really is. I think it's mind over matter - so I am hoping that therapy alone can help (have unilaterally decided to get off my antidep meds). My Dr. is sending me to a psychiatrist. I have never seen a psychiatrist - it sounds so serious! It makes me worry that maybe I have really lost it...

Just think of it as seeing a specialist. Make sure you are honest & give him/her all the info. needed to make an informed diagnosis. You may need to reconsider the medication thing.--Suzy

I don't want to take meds. My dr. said i should take it 'for life' I think that can't be true - how could she know? i actually have been taking sleeping pills instead of the full dose of meds and am doing ok (except for some occasional blips). It's just scary to be seeing a specialist in psychiatry because in my mind that seems like by definition you are unstable. Maybe i am, i don't know anymore...

Ouch, please know that just because you are seeing a "specialist" does not make you "crazy" or less of a person! I have been to a psychiatrist and it is much more matter of fact than a psycologist. They ask you what kind of symptoms you have what types of feelings you get. It's not so personal. This person is a professional and will work with you to help provide the best treatment path. As for depression, it is not "mind over matter" as you say, it is an actual MEDICAL condition. What happens is your brain either doesn't make the happy chemical (seritonin) or it has a blockage in the receptors so it can't accept the seritonin. I would urge you to not quit your meds without talking to a medical professional. You may feel ok now, but it might begin to get worse (the biggest risk is that you may become suicidal). I have been taking anti depressants for 3 years now, and have also been told I will have to be on them for life. It stinks to have to take a pill every day but think about diabetics... they couldn't go off thier insulin or they'd be putting themselves at serious risk. (that is how my psychiatrist explained it to me, not a weakness but a medical disease). I wish you the best of luck!

any time I have seen a psychiatrist in the past it has been for medication and or to do comprehensive psychological evaluations.

What happened was that the appointment was set up Then on the day of the appointment I went to the psychiatrists office building and waited in the lobby. the psychiatrist came to the lobby and introduced him/her self. then I followed the psychiatrist back to his/her office. in the office I sat down in a chair or on the couch and then the psychiatrist asked me questions and I answered his questions. if I was there for medication he/ she wrote out the prescription and gave me an appointment card for the follow up appointment to talk about how the medication was working and any side effects. If I was there for an evaluation the time that he/ she asked questions and I answered those questions is called the interview. after the einterview I was lead into a different room with a table and had to answer more questions for the IQ part of the test (math, history, short term memory skills and so on) then I was handed a booklet of a test th at would be sent out to be scored. when that was done I was given another booklet with more questions to answer and so on until the testing was done. Sometimes the testing was done all at once for 8 hours or more in one day and other times the tests were spaced out over a period of two weeks whith interviews each day and questionaires and computerized tests every day.

At the follow up for medication appointment I was asked questions about my taking the medication and how it was working and so on. then the psychiatrist would write another prescription of either the same medication and dosage or any adjustments that needed to be don't to the medication based on my answers to the psychiatrists questions.

Wow, I'm glad I wasn't given an IQ test! I would find that very intimidating & have lots of anxiety. I can't think when I get anxious like that. My math skills are gone; my memory is shot. I just described the symptoms I was having & answered the pdoc's questions. I did take a test for ADD.--Suzy

thanks for the advice. I just keep thinking that if i try hard enough i can 'snap out of it' i'm actually doing ok - except for 1 day in which i lay on the couch all afternoon, my mood has been ok as long as i take a sleeping pill at night. i know sleeping pills are still medication, but for some reason, in my mind, it seems better than antidep's. I don't want to talk about it with my dr. because she won't understand - she'll get angry at me - i know what she thinks, and it's the opp of what i'm doing. want to be 'clean' of meds. Not suicidal right now, but have been - hope i don't get that way again.

A psychiatrist shouldn't really scare you. Basically, its a doctor who specializes in helping defeat their issues. If it is their opinion that a medication might help you along the process more effectively, you should consider it. I have had problems with depression and such for nearly three years now, and have been taking anti-depressants for the same amount of time. My psychiatrist told me to consider this:
If someone has been depressed for one or two different times, 4-6 months of medication may be all they need.
If someone has been depressed 3 seperate times, they may need a year or more of medication.
But, if someone has experienced depression 4 times or more, it is likely they will need medication for nearly the rest of their lives.

These 'rules' are not true in every aspect, and certainly situations chnage for people. Hang in there. Just live day to day!

He's a medical doctor like an internist but instead of worrying about your heart or stomach, he's interested in the inside of your head and what's going on there chemically/physically.

The testing was intimidating the first time I did it because I knew what they were looking for - a counselor thought I should be tested for Multiple personality disorder and I didn't want to be a Sybil.

But once I got to doing the test it wasn't that bad. I was told that it was ok if I could not answer some or any questions in fact the questions would start out easy and then get harder on each subject and when I missed a certain number in a row that was my grade level and I was expected to miss certain questions because of my background of geographical location, type of school that I attended and so on. Here in the USA now they have set standards of what should be taught but each school can decide based on location and what the students will most likely need for that general location for example schools on the east coast teach french and german for their foreign language requirements in high school but on the west coast they teach spanish as a foriegn language. The reason being those on the east coast statistically will encounter more french and german speaking people and on the west coast statistically people will encounter more mexicans and spanish speaking indiviuals.

For math I scored 9th grade level and english 8th grade level and history 8th grade and reading comprehension I scored 9th grade and writing comprehension 9th grade. and at the time of the testing I was attending college part time and passing those college level courses. and having those test scores I graduated from college. LOL

And I wasn't given the tests each and every time that I saw a psychiatrist. Those tests were given to me yearly to chart my progress - rate of healing from my disorders, problems that could now be ruled out because they have been taken care of, problems yet to be taken care of, any new problems that may need to be addressed and so on. Whether or not a person goes through yearly testing also depends on the type of disorders, I was told my having MPD put me in the catagory of being tested yearly to chart my progress because during normal interviewing of answering a psychiatrists questions does not always address all the symptoms mainly because of a persons rate of switching personalities the person can very easily hide their symptoms during interviews, but because of validity score questions built into the computerized tests its harder to mask those symptoms. Its not impossible but harder to hide the symptoms with the testing proceedures specifically for MPD testing.

Ouch,

Please don't be scared. I have seen two psychiatrists and actually liked both.
They ask me deep questions that really brought out emotions in me.
I broke down with both of them. I guess there are certain things that I had kept buried within me and although, I didn't want to talk about it, I did, because I knew that was the only way that they could really help me is if they knew everything about me.
As I said, I liked them both. Even though, I felt drained when I would leave their offices, I actually felt better. It's weird how that works.
So, I don't think you will have any problems. I will be saying a prayer for you.
Take care,
Linda

I love my psychiatrist! I think the most important is to find someone who you are comfortable with and who talks/thinks at the same level as you.

On first meeting... I knew I liked my pdoc because we were talking the same language... meaning I didn't have to say a lot for him to "get" what I was trying to say. It's like meeting someone who you immediately able to converse with.

Granted pdoc & I had misunderstandings and micommunications but it was because there was a 3rd person involved (secretary, therapist). Mainly because with depression I was also very critical of everything and everyone, including myself so... nothing anyone can do will make me happy.

But once I spent time on the phone with him... I always came out feeling confident and grounded about our relationship.

He also spent a lot of time outside his office (unpaid) to review my materials and worrying about me. He called when he thought I was going to off myself. He and I have argued 2x and it didn't ruin our relationship.

He always extend my office visits from 20 to 30 minutes and we'd chatted more than just meds/side effects. He gave me information that I'd never thought of looking, referred me to useful books and made me do homework. He's very considerate, insightful and knowledgeable. He has a great memory and can recall things at the snap of his fingers. I just adore him!

So... good luck and I really hope you find someone that suits your personality and needs. I was lucky to find it at my first try.

I'm nervous - my first appt is tomorrow... I dreamt last night that I was wearing dark sunglasses and a hat on my appt so no one would recognize me. I have to admit I'm embarrassed I have to go see a psychiatrist, I don't know why... I'm scared to be recognized and labelled as unstable.

With me My theripyst contacted my pdoc and Told him about me. ( with my permission ) They let me control when I was able to talk about anything. So I went when I was supposed to but They both allowed me to become comfortable talking to them. I have a good relationship with both best choice I ever made. and these are both into dealing with alcohol and drugs. This is what I was looking for in treatment Even though I have 16 years in now What I am dealing with now has always sent me out to use and control how I felt.

i was suppose to go to a hosiptal last year to the intake department. what is that? i did cut i kinda still do but yeah o well. wat would happen if i talk to a psychoatrist or psychologist?